How To Do Manhattan in 4-days With Your Little Entourage

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Travel Inspiration, USA

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Back in December (yes, think way back, over a month ago feels like years to me right now) my husband and I took half of our little entourage to New York City for the holidays. Though my husband and I had been there a handful of times, the kids had never seen the Big Apple. Their first trip across the country was last fall when we took them to Washington, D.C. Needless to say, we were ecstatic about bringing them to New York, especially during the holiday season when city sidewalks are busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style.

If you follow me on Instagram (#RMLVNYC), you kept up with our jammed packed days in Manhattan. Regardless, you may be wondering how we managed to fit it all in. Here is our 4-day itinerary with RSMLV Tips at the end.

Day 1- Getting Warmed Up

We flew into JFK International on Jet Blue Airlines (I now know for next time to look for flights and airlines that fly into La Guardia Airport), and arrived around 12:30pm. Found our driver and headed into the city where we stayed at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, located across from Central Park in Columbus Circle.
Once checked in to our fabulous home base, we let the kids rest, had a drink and snack, changed our clothes and headed out to dinner at Balthazar Restaurant.
Since Balthazar’s was more than walking distance away from our hotel, we grabbed a taxi. Dinner reservations were made via the Trump International Hotel and Tower’s concierge prior to our arrival with a 6pm suggested dinner time.
The restaurant was busy and full of life. Great French bistro dining and the room was laced with holiday greens and trimming. We enjoyed dinner, skipped dessert, and instead headed to Dylan’s Candy Bar.
Closer to 8pm, the kids were still wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as we walked into one of the most fascintating candy stores any of us have ever seen. It was truly like walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with candy-filled steps, lollipops and gummy bears bigger than your head and any concoction of candy and flavors you could imagine.
Upstairs is the Candy Cafe & Bar. The kiddos indulged in an ice cream while the adults imbibed a traditional Egg Nog. To burn off some of that sugar high, we opted to walk back to the hotel, which was now a few blocks away.
Once we reached the edge of Central Park, the little ones’ legs began to give in, and my husband grabbed a horse and carriage. We rode just enough to get the experience and were dropped off curb side at the hotel by 10pm. Happy to be home with a great end to our day!

Day 2- Action Packed

We started our morning off with breakfast in our room. Before arriving, I had placed a grocery order with the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Our kitchen was stocked with fruit, cereal, milk, juice and coffee. This was a fantastic idea for us, giving our kids the energy they needed to at least get out the door, and time to find places to eat along the way.
The concierge at the hotel also arranged our passes to visit the 9-11 Memorial for 10am. The concierge was obviously quite savvy on times to suggest so we would not hit traffic and avoid rush hour. This was great information as it took us less than 20-30 minutes to get everywhere we needed to go during our stay.
Following our visit to the memorial, our starving children wanted to try some snacks from a street cart vendor: hot dogs, pretzels and roasted chestnuts it was!
The 9-11 Memorial is located near Battery Park, which is a beautiful residential area that all of us really enjoyed. We found a small little pizza spot and bakery, where we ate the most amazing curry soup and the kids had spiced cider. The friendly waitress told us about ice skating overlooking the Hudson River, New York Bay, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
As we made our way over there, we came upon a playground and let the kids enjoy a bit while we drank our coffee and snapped some great shots of them climbing and playing with the new World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) being built in the background.
Alas, the ice skating was not open, but we did manage to show the kids the Statue of Liberty, which is not accessible right now due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.
We grabbed a taxi and headed back to our hotel. As we drove through Manhattan, the taxi went through the Financial District, where we saw glimpses of infrastructure and building damage from the storm. From the cab, we also pointed out the United Nations Headquarters to the kids, which for them, being able to see all the world flags was cool enough.
After a brief break and change of clothes, once again headed out into the city that never sleeps. We enjoyed the “8-blocks or so” walk from our hotel to the Radio City Music Hall where we caught the Christmas Spectacular. If ever in New York during the season, you have to see it. It was fantastic!
Following our nightly entertainment, my husband hailed a pedi-cab to take us to dinner at Rue 57 Brasserie Parisian et Sushi Bar. Another lively, French bistro with delicious food and decorated to the nines for the holidays. This, by far, was my favorite family dinner during our stay.
Once again, the hotel concierge steered us in the right direction with timing, and suggested a trip to Toys R Us after dinner. The wonderful thing about New York, much like in Las Vegas, is that many of these places are open fairly late into the evening, allowing your day to extend into the night. A quick cab ride to Times Square (which my children were in amazement at the bright lights and gigantic bilboards), and we were happily perched in a Barbie car riding to the top of the 60′ ferris wheel located inside the Toys R Us store.
Tired kiddos (ok, tired parents) were ready to head back for the night just prior to midnight. We were happy to oblige, as another long day awaited us.

Don’t miss Part 2: How to Manhattan With Your Little Entourage, plus RSMLV Tips!

2013

10 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 1 Comment

Yes, I know, you have been checking back to see what’s new with the RockStarMom Las Vegas, and I can’t even find the time to change out my holiday post! Things have been quite busy around here for me, and I’m finally starting to catch up. New posts to come by next week, I promise. In the mean time, here are some fabulous ways you can follow me on the web right now to see where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to.

Editing Videos with the new Magisto App:

All around town on Instagram!

Guest posting on It’s Fitting : How To Do Vegas With Kids

Hope you have all made a Vision Board and revisited your goals. One of mine is sticking with my vision and saying , “No!”, to things that stray me from my course. Hopefully what you will find on my site this year, if you haven’t noticed some of the changes already, is a place to dissect Las Vegas the way you need to, and also a place for me to write about the things I love.

Happy 2013 to you and yours! Let’s all work together this year to make it a great one!

Just a Few of My Favorite Things

07 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 3 Comments

In October, I had the fabulous opportunity to participate in an Influencer weekend organized through The Trend Tribe, right here in Las Vegas. It was top notch. Twelve influential female bloggers were hand selected and invited via The Trend Tribe to indulge in all things hip, cool and trendy for 48 hours. We stayed at the Aria Las Vegas, dined at Sirio Ristorante, Jean-Georges Steakhouse, Sage, Comme Ca and Nob Hill, partied it up at the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp, and gifted the most amazing SWAG bags!

Inside these coveted bags, and the bag itself, just happen to be a few of my favorite things! With the holidays coming up, I thought I would share with you, my lovely readers, in case you are in need of some inspiration for gift giving this holiday season!

First up- the bag. Sent from Vera Bradley, the Carried Away tote retails for $99, and is my second Vera Bradley travel bag. Until recently, I have never owned a Vera Bradley product, but after attending the Colorful Day event last year in Las Vegas, I became an instant fan. I love their philosophy and culture and how every detail of every product is considered with a busy, fashionable, traveling woman in mind. After using my first Weekender bag from Vera Bradley, I fell in love with the ease and convenience of the product, and am proud to say, I now own 5 items! Their winter collection is full of bright and lively colors. I love the VaVa Bloom, Safari Sunset and the Tea Garden patterns. Purchases made from the Tea Garden collection goes to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

Next up…Henri Bendel. What is so lovely about Bendel is that there is now one right here in Las Vegas! Located at the Fashion Show Mall, the new Henri Bendel is a Girl’s Playground, filled with all kinds of accessories for all your home, bath and body, fashion and gifting needs. Full of glitter and flair, there is a gift for everyone on your list, even you! I recommend the Body Butter ($55) with the complementing Eau De Parfum ($65). We were gifted the Grapefruit and Vetiver fragrance which is awakening and warm at the same time. The Body Butter is amazing as it applies like a luscious lotion and turns your skin silky smooth. Perfect gift for your girlfriend, mom or sister!

Speaking of lovely body products…I am obsessed with The Body Shop’s Ginger Sparkle Bath Crystals ($20). Perfect for the holidays and a cozy way to feel festive and relaxed at the same time! I’m thinking this is a great gift for a teacher, a babysitter or as a hostess gift. I personally am a fan of The Body Shop products which are made from natural and sometimes organic ingredients. I feel confident enough to even let my kids use them in the shower or tub. Of course, always eco-friendly and free trade conscious as well, buying from The Body Shop is a feel good purchase for the Holidays!

During The Trend Tribe Influencer Weekend I was introduced to a new line of delicious cotton jammies from the Marigot Collection ($120). One of my most favorite things in life is climbing into bed made with clean, crisp, cool sheets and the perfect pjs. The Marigot Collection delivers perfection in a nightshirt and then some. Not to mention the whimsical designs and fun colors make these pajama sets a perfect gift for your girlfriends. In fact, why not gift them a set of Marigot Collection jammies and plan a good old fashioned Girls Night Out Slumber Party! What a great gift idea!

For the home, I suggest taking a visit over to the Demeter Fragrance Library ($25) where you will find yummy scents in perfumes like Mulled Cider, Snow and Gingerbread. My bag contained a home fragrance diffuser oil and bamboo sticks in Sugar Plum. Demeter is known for their off the wall scents like Grass, Dirt and Pure Soap, that at first sound wild, but will end up being one of your most favorite. Honestly, I’m not usually a big fan of diffusers because I’m not convinced they work. But, small and mighty, this Demeter product actually retains its smell. I have one in my hall and one in the guest bathroom and every time I pass through the Sugar Plum scent envelopes me in a perfectly pleasing kind of way. I’m thinking stocking stuffers!

And, now for a scrumptous treat to either gift of keep! Ethel M’s (prices vary), the sweet little chocolate shop whose parent company is the well known Mars chocolate company, is made right here in Southern Nevada. The chocolate factory is located in Henderson, and also features a Cactus Garden which visitors are encouraged to explore their over 300 species of the prickly plants. What I personally love about Ethel M’s, besides the fact it is locally operated and provides jobs to our residents, is their products are preservative free and ingredients are top notch. During the holidays, there are seasonal collections available which feature flavors like Egg Nog and Pumpkin Spice, but the classics still remain an all time favorite. If you are gifting to an adult 21 and over, try the Creme Liqueur collection. You can purchase Ethel M chocolates on-line to be shipped all over the US, however, if you are local, you may want to make the trip to the Chocolate Factory to stock up on hostess, teacher, gift exchange or dessert boxes and stocking stuffers, and check out the Ethel M Cactus Garden all lit up for the holidays!

As mentioned, all of these items were provided to me as a Trend Tribe Influencer. I was not asked or expected to write about them, but loved the brands and the products so much, I chose to do so on my own.

Photos in throughout this post were used by permission from ChamorraChica and It’sFitting blogs. Check them out, they rock!